Abeokuta, March 19, 2020 The National Association of Ogun State Students (NAOSS) has called on the state government to urgently deploy health officers with screening kits at the various ports of entry into Nigeria from Benin Republic.
They said that this was to control the coronavirus pandemic from spreading into Ogun and the country through its border towns with Benin Republic.
The National President of the association, Mr Oluwagbemileke Ogunrombi, stated this in a statement he issued in Abeokuta on Thursday.
He said that the call was necessitated by the report of the first case of Coronavirus outbreak in Benin Republic, a neighbouring country that shares borders with Nigeria through Ogun.
“To avert a major health crisis in the state, we call on the Commissioner for Health, Dr. Tomi Coker, to immediately place hospitals and health centres in border communities in state on the alert.
“The health workers in the border communities must also be on the lookout for people with symptoms of the disease.
“We call on the state government, through the Ministry of Health, the World Health Organisation (WHO) and the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) to urgently deploy health officers in ports of entry to test people entering into the country for Coronavirus.
“We are aware of the fact that Ogun state is the gateway into the country from the neighbouring Benin Republic.
“Therefore, we are imploring the state to be more proactive in preventing the virus from finding its way into Nigeria from foreigners that will be entering Nigeria through the land borders.’’
He also implored the traditional rulers, leaders and the entire residents of border communities in Ogun to be on the alert and report any suspected cases to the appropriate authority.
The students’ leader commended the state government for its quick response to the first case of Coronavirus in the state.
He said that the case would have escalated but for the prompt attention of the state government.
Ogunrombi also advised the state government to close all schools across the state for a period of time to avoid the spread of the disease.
